Programs Committee

Related News Archive: 2017

By Joe Gonzalez, P.E.
ASCE Orange County and UESI held its September lunch event with a presentation by Rob Thompson, PE, Director of Engineering for Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) on the Newport Force Main Project in the City of Newport Beach. OCSD is a public agency that provides wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal services for approximately 2.6 million people in central and northwest Orange County. The project involved the replacing and rehabilitating over 5 miles of existing sewer force main in Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). More »

By Remi Candaele, M.S., P.E.
The ASCE OC EWRI Committee was invited by the Orange County Water District (OCWD) to tour the Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS), also known as the world’s largest purification system for indirect potable use. A group of 45 attendees was received by Michael Markus, General Manager, and Sandy Scott-Roberts, who serves of the GWRS Program Manager. The project has garnered more than 40 awards by multiple professional organization, including the ASCE National Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award. More »

By Jeff Braun, P.E.
Civil Engineers from throughout Orange County, and beyond, recognized the contributions of our experienced engineers and the dedication of the upcoming generation at the ASCE Orange County History & Heritage and Student Scholarship Night on November 16, 2017. Attendees arrived to the red carpet at the Marconi Auto Museum, mingling amongst classic race cars and high-end vehicles. We had a beautiful evening to reconnect with friends, meet new ones, and have a lot of fun. More »

Welcome to American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE-OC) Sustainability Committee’s State of Sustainability 2017 Report - a comprehensive picture of how sustainability is being approached by a wide range of organizations and agencies in Orange County.
This was a tremendous effort on behalf of the Sustainability Committee! Continue reading to find the Executive Summary and link to the entire report. More »

By Jeff Braun, P.E.
I catch myself focusing on the task-at-hand so intently that I often blow right past the finer points of the experiences I’m lucky enough to be enjoying. Whether I’m at work, or out having a good time, I often fail to slow down and learn more about the team I’m working with and the amazing experiences, skills, and talents they offer.
... Even in my role as Branch President I am amazed at what our fellow members are doing in their roles as engineers within their firms or agencies, as dedicated volunteers for ASCE committees or institutes, or through their support of charitable organizations. More »

By Jeff Braun, P.E.
Balance is the key to long-term happiness and success. The balance that immediately comes to most adults minds is the work-life balance. While this is important, it is not the balance I’m addressing in this message. We all recognize the drive and hunger in our most successful role models and peers. They appear to never be satisfied with their current state, always looking for opportunities to learn more skills, become more efficient, and design and construct amazing projects to improve our built environment. We may hold these successful and motivated engineers in high regard for advancing our profession, but we must also take time to recognize our own achievements. More »

By Rock Miller, P.E.
For decades, many European cities have developed networks of special bikeways within and between their urban areas. These systems go by many names, including cycle tracks, separated bikeways, and protected bikeways, among other titles. In the US, title Class IV Bikeways– a systems approach defined by placing physical separations between the lanes designated for bicyclists and motorists – are emerging to follow the established sequence of Class I, II, and III Bikeways. More »

By Daniela Malott, P.E.
The ASCE Orange County Branch June luncheon meeting presented on Seawater Desalination. The key-note speaker was Andrew Kingman, Executive Vice President of Poseidon Water. Poseidon Water is a United States based company, specialized in water infrastructure development. More »

By Josue Vaglienty, PE
ASCE OC topped the 100 mark with 106 players (a new record for ASCE OC) participating in the 2017 Annual ASCE OC Golf Tournament held this past June 9th at Oak Creek Golf Club in Irvine, CA. ASCE OC-Branch, ASCE OC-Younger Member Forum (YMF), and ASCE Student Chapters provided volunteer support to welcome players, get them registered, and encourage them to socialize before, during, and after the tourney. The mix of players included individuals representing local civil engineering firms, public agencies, and product/service vendors. More »

By Jeff Braun, P.E.
"I am extremely proud and honored to assume the role as President of the Orange County Branch. We have another awesome group of folks serving on the board this year and we are all focused on continuing the outstanding legacy the OC Branch has developed over the past several years because of the commitment of our members and committee leadership."
"If you have not had the opportunity to visit other branches or sections, or attend a regional or society-wide event, you may not have an appreciation of the amazing things our members are doing, and the dedicated leadership we have within our Younger Members’ Forum, committees, and institutes. The most exciting role I have as Branch President is to support their pursuits to provide the best experiences for our fellow members." More »

By: Guillaume Iradukunda
The 2017 Speaker Series "Civil Engineering Innovations for an Interconnected World” was a month-long event, where four prominent and well-respected members in the civil engineering field gave interactive presentations. The Series took a look at innovative technologies in the Civil Engineering Industry and how they are applied both locally and internationally.
More »

By Josue Candelario, Programs Co-Chair
Have you ever been involved in a project where you found it difficult to work with your teammate? Or perhaps the interpersonal communication was not as efficient as you wanted it to be? Well, we all have experienced these at one point - and it occurs even in the professional work force. To help shed some light on this topic, ASCE Orange County YMF and Orange County Society of Women Engineers hosted a soft skills workshop earlier this year on April 11, 2017. The workshop was facilitated by Pattie Grimm, a certified training professional and an empowerment expert. More »

By Josue Vaglienty, P.E.
With the recent announcement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) granting Paris and Los Angeles the 2024 and 2028 Summer Olympics, respectively, the countdown has begun. Much of the preparation comes in the form of infrastructure that must be constructed or reconstructed. And prior to that (or at least concurrently) – it must be designed by the A/E industry. A good amount of that work will land on the laps of civil engineers. More »

By Josue Vaglienty, P.E.
The 4th of July is always a great time to celebrate summer and our nation’s Independence Day, alongside our family and friends. This year, while you’re busy eating BBQ, enjoying a day at the beach, or watching fireworks – take a moment and consider this - If it wasn’t for the seven Founding Fathers, the 4th of July would be no more special than the 5th of July! More importantly, one of those Founding Fathers was a critical figure whose courage, influence, and leadership led the way in transforming 13 American colonies into the United States of America. That individual’s name was George Washington – a surveyor and civil engineer (as well as an incredible war hero and our country’s first president)! As it turns out, there are at least two other significant American civil engineers by the same name that you may or may not have known about: More »

By Portia Gonzalez, P.E.
The ASCE Orange County Branch March luncheon meeting presented on the Santa Ana River Parkway Extension Project. The key speakers include Mr. Jeff Dickman, Planner with the Orange County Public Works; Mr. Jerry Flores, Associate Principal with AECOM, and Mr. David Jaffe, Senior Project Manager with Psomas. More »

By Josue Vaglienty, P.E.
ASCE is joining over 250 other organizations and affiliates of InfrastructureWeek.org this week in huge effort to reach out to legislators and the public at large to promote Infrastructure Week (May 15-19, 2017). The US Chamber of Commerce is also promoting Infrastructure Week (#TimeToBuild) and the importance of building and maintaining the country’s critical infrastructure. The emphasis is on the benefits of improved infrastructure: enhancing trade and a better business environment, safer means of transport, and providing more reliability for all users. There’s no question it is an important topic. The difficult part is finding the right solution to securing dedicated long-term funding for America. More »

By Josue Vaglienty, P.E.
I recently chimed in with about 25 other Section and Branch leaders on a nationwide “Ask The President” web-conference call with Dr. Norma Jean Mattei, our Society President. For about an hour, we had the opportunity to submit written questions or ask a question verbally. The session was very lively and interactive... More »

By Josue Vaglienty, P.E.
The “Dream Big” feature film is finally out at IMAX theatres across the country! But the event was not intended to be a single showcase event. Nor was it just for Engineer’s Week. The intent of the film is to engage a whole generation of young students by capturing their imagination and to inspiring them to become engineers…hopefully civil engineers!
... I, for one, am a believer. The future of our country’s infrastructure (both existing and future) will land firmly in their hands. Our job as engineers of today is to serve as a catalyst to help them along the way – on their way to becoming the E-Generation! More »

By: Natalie Jensen and Jazzy Quinabo
ASCE Orange County held the December luncheon at the Center Club in Costa Mesa with a presentation by Raul Rasco, P.E., the Jacobs construction management representative for the Wilshire Grand Redevelopment Project. The $1 billion hotel and office complex being developed by Korean Air, is about 85 percent completed, with a projected Substantial Completion date in Spring 2017. The Wilshire Grand Hotel is located at a prime location in downtown Los Angeles at 900 Wilshire Boulevard. The structure is 73 stories tall and encompasses 2.1 million square feet. The Tower features 16 stories of office space, 889 hotel rooms, 7 levels of amenities, and 5 levels of below grade parking. The project is being managed, designed, and constructed by a strong team of professionals, including Martin Project Management, A.C. Martin Partners, Brandow & Johnston Structural Engineers, Thornton Tomasetti, and Turner Construction Company. Keep reading to find out more on this mega project. More »

By: Josue Vaglienty, P.E.
It is that time of year again, when we press the reset button and try to make our resolutions a reality. In my January President's Message, I share some personal resolutions, and resolutions the ASCE OC Board is working on to benefit YOU, the ASCE OC membership. More »

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